Visit Historic Smithfield on October 24 for a day of traditional & Appalachian Autumnal fun!
Explore historical skills, crafts, and traditions throughout the property, including a blacksmith, cider pressing, militia encampment, soapmaking, and more! Wander the historic grounds and enjoy a variety of activities throughout the day!

No Admission Fee!

Schedule of Events

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM — Side lawn, under trees
Pet a pony, provided by the Linkous-Kipps Historical House

11:00 – 11:30 PM; 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM; 2:30 – 3:00 PM  — Pavilion
Ghost Story readings by Anita Allen

11:30 AM — Pavilion
Children’s Halloween Costume Contest
Show off your costume for a chance to win — judged by Proclamation Theatre & Anita Allen 

12:00 PM  — Pavilion
Proclamation Theatre Performance- Daniel Boone meets William Preston

11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM  — Orchard
Musket Demonstration & Shell Casting

11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 1:30, 2:30 PM — Cider shack in Orchard
Cider Pressing Demonstrations

11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM  — Departs from sign near museum entrance
Cemetery Tours

Ongoing Activities

The Textile Artists of Virginia (TAVA) Quilting Exhibition

The Textile Artists of Virginia (TAVA) are a group of quilters who get together monthly to learn new techniques and share ideas that push the boundaries of what quilts can be.  These art quilts are wall hangings and showcase each artist's vision and skills in using fabric and thread to create unique pieces of art.  

Each year, the group chooses a theme for the annual challenge.  There are no constraints except the artist's imagination.  This pop-up exhibit showcases two challenges, "Wild Things" and "Balance".  In addition, each artist was invited to include any other pieces they would like to display.  We will also have a few items for sale such as hand-dyed silk scarves and small handmade bags.

Pumpkin & Turnip Painting
Get creative with some classic autumn decorations while supplies last.

Candle Dipping & Grapevine Weaving
Try your hand at traditional crafts at the Pavilion.

Blacksmith Demonstrations
Watch the forge come alive with demonstrations of this historic craft.

Mask Making & Hands-On Activities
Make your own Halloween mask and enjoy other activities throughout the grounds.

Try on Period Clothing
Step into the past and see what it was like to dress in historical clothing.

Colonial Militia Encampment
See history come to life with a colonial military encampment near the entrance.

Shop Local Vendors
Browse handmade goods, art, jewelry, food, and other unique finds from local vendors.

And, of course, you'll have the chance to explore Historic Smithfield's historic house and grounds throughout your visit!

Activities and schedule are subject to change.

Consider parking for the game with us!

History Haunts at Historic Smithfield

This October, the past comes alive after dark.

Join Historic Smithfield at the Pavilion on Friday, October 16, from 6:30–8:30 PM for an evening of Appalachian folklore, fireside storytelling, and a chilling literary reading.

Dr. Daniel Wood will dive into the Appalachian legend of Tailypo, a demon-like creature who torments the hungry woodsman who ate his tail. Then, Amanda McGee will take the evening in a darker direction with a reading from her new novella, A River Wide:

“Mountains have deep, dark hearts, and those hearts are carved by water. Deep in the shadowed hollers of Appalachia, Rhia Blackburn has always kept her powers and her heart buried. Around here, the river whispers dark secrets, the earth remembers every cut, and survival is a skill women pass down in blood. But when her cousin Amey is kidnapped up the mountain, Rhia is forced to confront the terror of her home and her own troubled history. To save her, Rhia must trust her powers—and herself—because in Appalachia, family comes first and water always finds a way.
​ 
An Appalachian horror novella about family, grief, and the stubborn strength it takes to survive.”

Your ticket includes admission, hot beverages, and heavy appetizers. Bundle up, bring a blanket, and settle in around the fire for a cozy autumn evening filled with stories from the mountains… some of them perhaps better left in the past.

Friday, October 16
6:30–8:30 PM
The Pavilion at Historic Smithfield

More information about the talks and speakers coming soon.

Come for the history. Stay for the haunting.

About the Speakers

Dr. Daniel Woods

Dr. Woods is a Professor of English in the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences. He has been an avid student of all things Appalachia for more than 25 years. This love started when he was an undergrad at RU (Class of ’01), where he participated in many Appalachian Studies courses as well as the Highlander Summer conference. In his high school English classes, he incorporated many Appalachian writers and artists. He fondly remembers an 11 th grade student commenting after the class finished Ron Rash’s The Cove, “this is the first time I’ve ever read a book about where I am from.” Connecting students with their “place” is a true passion of his. Whether it is in his Appalachian Folklore course or his teacher education courses, he works to instill a sense of pride of place in his students so that they may pass that on to their future students. 

 In service to the academic community of Appalachia, Dr. Woods is a member of the Appalachian Studies Association and previously served for six years as the editor of the Virginia English Journal, publishing poets and researchers from across Appalachia. When not reading or researching Appalachia he is often out exploring its beauty by taking advantage of the endless hiking, biking, and paddling opportunities of the region.

Amanda J. McGee

Amanda J. McGee is a planner by day and a writer by night. She has degrees from Hollins University and Virginia Tech, where she studied languages, identity politics, policy, and infrastructure. She is the author of the dark epic fantasy series The Creation Saga and is an Art Matters Grant recipient, a program of the City of Roanoke and the National Endowment of the Arts. Her novella “Viridian” was published in the anthology A SINISTER QUARTET, which made the 2020 Locus Recommended Reading List. She has a forthcoming novella from Interstellar Flight Press.

When not writing, Amanda can be found reading books or hiking mountains, depending on the season. She lives in Southwest Virginia with the love of her life, her son, two fluffy cats, and a plethora of plants. You can find out more on her website at

http://amandajmcgee.com.

Get creative and craft your own unique broom using an assortment of dried and preserved natural materials. Choose from colorful flowers, textured grasses, fragrant herbs, and other seasonal botanicals to create a broom that reflects your personal style and intentions. Participants are also welcome to bring their own dried plants or natural materials to incorporate into their creation.

This class will be hosted at Historic Smithfield’s Pavilion on Thursday, Oct 15 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM.

Need accommodations? Email jnehrt@historicsmithfield.org and we’ll make a plan.

Consider parking for the game with us!

Consider parking for the game with us!

Consider parking at Historic Smithfield!

NEW TIME: Historic Smithfield’s Independence Day Commemoration is now 10 AM TO 1 PM in response to this week’s heatwave.

Join us at Historic Smithfield for a full day of colonial-era demonstrations, rousing music, and programming that explores the full meaning of American independence. Watch a blacksmith shape iron at the forge, try your hand at candle dipping or tricorn hat making, and stroll through the grounds as spinners, militia members, a broommaker, and other historical demonstrators bring the 18th century to life.

The day's programming takes seriously both the promise and the complexity of July 4th. Hear the Declaration of Independence read aloud alongside Frederick Douglass' landmark 1852 address, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?, presented by Blacksburg Town Councilman Darryl Campbell. The Proclamation Theatre and Floyd Historical Dancers will perform, and the Montgomery Junior Appalachian Musicians and Blue Ridge Vocal Connections will provide live music throughout the day.

Younger visitors can visit the petting zoo, use the printing press, and contribute to a community paper star art project. Pop-up lectures, mill tours, and house tours round out the day.

This event is free and open to the community, presented in partnership with the Montgomery Museum of Art & History, Meadowbranch Museum, Calfee Community and Cultural Center, and the Friends of St. Luke, Odd Fellows, and Household of Ruth.

Join us for two talks that offer a nuanced look at the New River Valley’s early settlers — from the forces that brought them across the Atlantic to the complex legacy they forged on the Virginia frontier.

Together, these talks invite us to grapple with a founding family whose story reflects both the ambition and the deep contradictions of early American settlement.

Before we mark July 4th, consider this: was July 2nd the more historically significant date? Dr. Dan Thorp makes the case for why the date Congress actually voted for independence deserves a second look. Snacks and refreshments will be available.

Plan Your Visit

The concert takes place at the Historic Smithfield pavilion in Blacksburg, Virginia.

• Seating: Chairs will be set up in the Pavilion. Bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic gear. Come early to find your perfect spot on the grounds.

• Admission: Free. This is a community event open to everyone. Donations to support the band are gratefully accepted.

• Setting: Historic Smithfield is one of the region's most beloved landmarks — a perfect backdrop for an American music celebration.

• Accessibility: Please contact Jenny Nehrt, Visitor Experiences Coordinator, if you need special accommodations to attend this event: jnehrt@historicsmithfield.org

About the Blacksburg Community Band

The Blacksburg Community Band is a proud fixture of the New River Valley's cultural life, bringing together talented volunteer musicians to share the joy of live concert band music with the community. The ensemble performs a wide range of repertoire spanning classical, popular, and patriotic traditions.

We begin not in July, but in June — because the story of American freedom does not begin and end in 1776. This gathering honors the more than 200 individuals who were enslaved at Greater Smithfield, whose names deserve to be spoken aloud. Join us for remarks by Blacksburg Town Councilman Darryl Campbell, a community reading of those names, and music by the Blacksburg Master Chorale. A community potluck featuring dishes from historic African American cookbooks follows at the Pavilion.\

Taste the history.
Bring a recipe from the source.

Black cooks, chefs, and kitchen keepers have shaped American food from the very beginning — their flavors, techniques, and recipes woven into the fabric of this country's table. The authors of these books were among the first to write that legacy down. This Juneteenth, we invite you to explore their cookbooks, find a recipe that speaks to you, and bring it to share with our community down at the Pavilion following the program.

Find a recipe.
Make it. Share it.

Every dish you bring carries a story two centuries in the making. Let's fill the table together.

1. Browse one of the cookbooks above (or find another) — they're free to read online.

2. Pick a recipe that calls to you, adapt it to your kitchen.

3. Bring it to the celebration and tell us about the recipe and chef.

One of the town’s most popular events, Blacksburg Fork and Cork is held each spring to showcase local and regional wineries, artists and restaurants. Enjoy wine tastings, live music, cooking demos and wine information sessions.

This event is hosted by the Blacksburg Partnership. Please direct questions regarding this event to Ann Cassell, President (ann@blacksburgpartnership.org) or Amelia Tuckwiller, Events Coordinator (amelia@blacksburgpartnership.org).

Join us for a fun-filled morning of reading and activities at Historic Smithfield!

This week, we're teaming up with the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum to learn a piece of presidential history and read "How The Sheep Helped Win the War, perfect for ages 5-9. After the story, stick around for a fun follow-up activity that brings history to life!

"This children’s book tells the story of President and Mrs. Wilson placing a flock of sheep on the White House lawn during World War I to free the gardeners for wartime duties. When the “White House Wool” was auctioned, nearly $100,000 was raised for the Red Cross. This educational book connects literature, history, and civic engagement in a memorable way."

Enter through the Gift Shop, located in the historic gardens.

This is a wonderful opportunity for kids to connect with local history in a hands-on, engaging way. We hope to see you there!

Date & Time: Saturday, April 11 | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Historic Smithfield, 1000 Merry Oak Way, Blacksburg, VA

Step back in time and experience life on Virginia’s colonial frontier at Historic Smithfield’s 2026 season opener! Our “Frontier Spring in 1776” celebration invites the community to explore the daily life, work, and crafts of families living in Southwest Virginia during the Revolutionary era.

Event Highlights:

Live Music:

• 11:00 AM: Performance by Montgomery Junior Appalachian Musicians

• 12:00 PM: Living history presentation with William Preston (Michael Hudson) in conversation with Thomas Jefferson (Bryan Austin)

• 1:00 PM: Foot-stomping bluegrass by New Standard

• Plus live harp music provided by Chloe Scales!

  Living History & Demonstrations:

• Hands-on crafts inspired by 1776 frontier life: candle dipping, seed planting, church dolls, and simple textile projects

• Blacksmith demonstrations showing traditional tool-making techniques

• Militia demonstrations illustrating colonial military drills and frontier defense

• Hand-made shingles demonstrations by the Matthews Living History Farm

Food available!

Start your day with Cousins Coffee, Co. or grab a hot dog from Hot Bunz Hot Dogz.

Experience History Firsthand

Explore the seasonal work of colonial families—planting gardens, preparing food, repairing tools, and producing household goods—through engaging activities designed for visitors of all ages.

Silent Auction — Bid on Something Special, Build Something Lasting

Our silent auction is live! Browse a wonderful collection of items generously donated by our volunteers — including decorative wreaths, a handmade quilt, local woodwork, prints, and ceramics — and place your bid in support of Historic Smithfield's future.

Every dollar raised goes directly toward the construction of our new living history building, where thousands of students each year will enjoy even richer, hands-on experiences connecting with the past. Whether you walk away with a treasure or simply show your support, your bid helps keep history alive for the next generation.

The auction closes at 2:30 PM on Saturday, April 11 at the end of Opening Day. You can bid online now or in person during the event.

Step beyond the traditional historic tour and into the lived world of the people who called Smithfield home — not as guests, but as the enslaved men, women, and children whose labor, love, and resilience shaped every corner of this place.

Join author Kerri Moseley-Hobbs for an intimate, moving walkthrough of Historic Smithfield as she reads excerpts from her book More Than A Fraction — a powerful work of historical fiction that restores humanity and voice to the Fraction family, who were enslaved at Smithfield. Through richly imagined prose, Kerri brings to life their personalities, inner thoughts, relationships, and daily experiences — the full, complex lives that history so often leaves out.

As the group moves from room to room and across the grounds, each reading unfolds in the very place where its story is set — letting the physical space and the narrative illuminate each other in ways no conventional tour can.

This is Black history told with depth, dignity, and imagination. Come ready to listen, to feel, and to see Smithfield differently.

Free and open to all. No registration or tickets required.

Kerri Moseley-Hobbs
Founder and Executive Director
 
Dr. Kerri Moseley-Hobbs, Founder, and Executive Director of the More Than A Fraction Foundation, brings nearly two decades of comprehensive experience in education, straddling roles encompassing administration and research/program development. Her journey includes pivotal contributions to postsecondary (higher education) policy, regulation, and administration, coupled with a deep involvement in experiential learning, educational presentations, exposure initiatives, and historical research. Beyond her extensive involvement in prestigious projects, Dr. Moseley-Hobbs is an author, penning the creative non-fiction book "More Than a Fraction: Based on a True Story." She stands as one of the prominent voices chronicling the history of Africans in America, and African Americans, of Maryland, the Southeast region, and beyond.

Before assuming leadership roles in higher education, Dr. Moseley-Hobbs served as a promotion's assistant and junior writer at The Baltimore Times Newspaper in Baltimore, Maryland. Her remarkable journey in publishing commenced at the age of 12 and continued until she embarked on her higher education career at 18.

Holder of a doctorate degree in Education and three degrees from the University of Maryland—a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, a master’s degree in interdisciplinary management, and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA)—Dr. Moseley-Hobbs traces her lineage as a 4th-generation descendant of Thomas Fraction, the central figure in her debut creative non-fiction book, "More Than A Fraction”.

🐴✨ Two Locations, One Amazing Story!

We’ve all heard of Paul Revere, but have you heard of Susanna Bolling? Susanna’s Midnight Ride is a historical novel for young people based on the true story of a 16-year-old girl from Virginia who saved French General Lafayette from capture, paving the way for the decisive Battle of Yorktown. Join author Libby McNamee to ride along with Susanna as she makes history.

Almost five years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution hung in the balance. In late May 1781, General Cornwallis invaded City Point, VA, and quartered his army there. As 16-year-old Susanna Bolling served the British general and his officers dinner, she overheard their plans to capture General Lafayette and crush the American rebellion once and for all. Under the cover of darkness, she snuck out of her house through a secret underground tunnel and canoed downriver. Then she grabbed a neighbor’s horse and rode ten miles to warn Lafayette. But would she make it back home by sunrise without detection?

Presented in partnership with Historic Smithfield. A Montgomery County 250 and Virginia 250 Event.

🐴✨ Two Locations, One Amazing Story!

We’ve all heard of Paul Revere, but have you heard of Susanna Bolling? Susanna’s Midnight Ride is a historical novel for young people based on the true story of a 16-year-old girl from Virginia who saved French General Lafayette from capture, paving the way for the decisive Battle of Yorktown. Join author Libby McNamee to ride along with Susanna as she makes history.

Almost five years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution hung in the balance. In late May 1781, General Cornwallis invaded City Point, VA, and quartered his army there. As 16-year-old Susanna Bolling served the British general and his officers dinner, she overheard their plans to capture General Lafayette and crush the American rebellion once and for all. Under the cover of darkness, she snuck out of her house through a secret underground tunnel and canoed downriver. Then she grabbed a neighbor’s horse and rode ten miles to warn Lafayette. But would she make it back home by sunrise without detection?

Presented in partnership with Historic Smithfield. A Montgomery County 250 and Virginia 250 Event.

Join us for a fun and hands-on Story Hour at Historic Smithfield, perfect for young learners and their families! This month, we’ll read Adventurous Max Flax—a delightful story full of imagination and whimsy.

After the reading, children will get creative by crafting and weave their own yarn squares. Parental assistance is appreciated depending on your child’s age and ability.

• Free and open to all young learners and their families

• Storytime + craft activity

• Please enter through the museum gift shop

We can’t wait to share stories, history, and creativity with you—come read, imagine, and craft with us!

Date & Time: Saturday, March 21 at 11:00 AM

Join us this winter for the Smithfield Crafting Guild, a new pilot program at Historic Smithfield designed to bring local makers together in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Bring your knitting, embroidery, sketchbook, sewing, or any portable craft project and enjoy time creating and connecting in the historic cellar of Smithfield.

The cellar was once a workspace for the plantation’s enslaved workers, whose skilled labor shaped this site. As we gather to make together, we do so with respect for the history of this space and the hands that once worked here.

What to Expect:
• Informal, self-led crafting
• All skill levels welcome
• Bring your own project
• Occasional guest artisans or skill-sharing sessions
• A cozy, creative atmosphere rooted in history

Winter Session Dates:
• Thursday, February 12
• Thursday, March 12
10:30 AM–12:00 PM

Please Note:
This is a new program we are piloting this winter. Dates and times may shift as we learn more about community interest and work to make the Crafting Guild as accessible and welcoming as possible.

This is a low-pressure, come-as-you-are gathering — no registration required. Bring a friend, meet fellow makers, and enjoy a peaceful morning of crafting at Historic Smithfield.

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Come hear the powerful story of an illegally enslaved Virginia family and their fearless legal battle for freedom, told in Seeking Justice: The Extraordinary Freedom Suits of an Enslaved Virginia Family.

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